“Speak not injurious words, neither in jest nor earnest; scoff at none though they give occasion.”

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

I wrote yesterday about Donald Trump’s contempt for the U.S. Military he wants to lead.

That alone should prescribe a defeat for him as he wants the presidency he once ha.

But, regarding the military, I cannot help by write about this again based on a column in the Wall Street Journal this morning by William McRaven, a retired four-star admiral who served as the ninth commander of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) from August 8, 2011 to August 28, 2014.

As a leader of Seal Team 6 and other Seal Teams, he knows more the military than I ever will know.

So, his words below are worth reading as he reflects on how Trump fails to meet every test of solid leader. 

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McRaven writes:

When George Washington was 12, he began copying by hand “Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation.”  The first rule states:  “Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present.”  Rule No. 65 says: “Speak not injurious words, neither in jest nor earnest; scoff at none though they give occasion.”

A 1949 U.S. Army pamphlet, “Personal Conduct for the Soldier,” offers similar prescriptions.  In the foreword, General Omar Bradley noted that good conduct was as applicable to the civilian as the soldier.

Under the section titled “Self Control”:  “You make a fool of yourself every time you let the old mind and body get out of control. . . . If you lose self-control, you’re like a ship without a rudder.”

The section on “The Courteous Leader”: “ Most great leaders are kind and courteous. . . . The leader who treats his men badly will find that his men behave badly. . . . A courteous attitude toward all races, nationalities, and religious faiths helps a man get along with people.”

Those of us who have spent time in the military know that these maxims aren’t mere words.  These qualities define good leaders and reflect their followers.  Character, honesty, integrity, honor and a sense of duty all matter.  These aren’t just platitudes but tangible qualities that make a difference in every organization, from the neighborhood coffee shop to the White House.

The White House is the home of American leadership, where Republican leaders like Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush resided.  

While each of these leaders had his shortcomings and foibles, none of them consistently violated every principle of good leadership like Donald Trump does.

Trump has no self-control.  He lashes out at immigrants, religious groups and military heroes.  He lies with reckless abandon.  In August, in what was outlandish even by Trump’s standards, he reposted on Truth Social a picture of Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton above a crude sexual joke. Just last week he was regaling a crowd about Arnold Palmer’s anatomy.

These are things a disturbed 15-year-old boy would do, not the commander in chief, not the man who holds the nuclear codes, not the leader of the free world.

More recently, Trump called Harris “mentally impaired” and a “s— vice president.”  This is a former president of the United States, a man who might represent the nation again.  And for those of you who dismiss this kind of language or, worse, defend it, if rump is re-elected you shouldn’t be surprised if this kind of aberrant behavior continues.  And everything about it will affect the future of the nation.

Being a person of good character matters.  Doing what is right matters because when a leader exhibits honor, integrity and decency, it instills those qualities in the culture of the institution and in the next generation of leaders.  What will the culture of America look like if Trump is re-elected?  What will the next generation of leaders look like if they are followers of Donald Trump?

You will, no doubt, ask the same question about Harris, but you will get a different answer.  You may not like her policies, her followers or her vision for America, but Harris won’t threaten the press, demean immigrants, mock those who have died for the country, break with our allies, or undermine the Constitution.

And in four years, if we are past the era of Trump, the Republican Party can rise again and provide the kind of principled leadership and followership that this nation needs.

I am pro-life.  I believe in a small government, big business, a strong military ,and a secure border, and I always stand for the American flag.  I am a conservative, and I would love to be part of a Republican Party I can be proud of, one that stands for the values, the decency, the sense of duty and honor and country which so many previous Republican presidents strived for.

Washington’s final rule of decent behavior says:  “Labor to keep alive in your breast that little celestial fire called conscience.”  My little celestial fire won’t allow me to vote for Donald Trump. I think George Washington and Omar Bradley would agree.

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And this footnote.  The New York Times shows up this morning with a story under this headline:  An Ethical Minefield Awaits a Possible Second Trump Presidency.

The story goes on:  “With business ties to foreign governments and holdings in industries overseen by federal regulators, Donald Trump would likely be the most conflicted president in U.S. history.”

No matter, for Trump.  He wouldn’t recognize an ethical conflict if it hit him in the face.